Contents [hide]

Wiseman History Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables World Ranking

Ireland United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Historic Events Related Stories Suggested Reading Citations

Wiseman History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany
Ireland
Scotland

The name Wiseman comes from the ancient Anglo-Saxon culture of Britain. It was a name for a wise or learned person. Further research revealed that the name is derived from the Old English words wis, meaning wise or knowledgeable, and man, meaning man. 1

The family could have ultimately been Norman in origin as "Wisman, of Falaise, Normandy, occurs t. William I. (during the reign of William I)" 2

Early Origins of the Wiseman family

The surname Wiseman was first found in Essex where they "belonging to the distinguished families of Rivenhall, Northend, Great Baddow, Felstead, etc., and played an important part in the county and frequently served as high sheriffs." 3

One of the first records of the family was Ranulph Wisman who witnessed a charter of Beatrix de Say, c. 1140, in favour of Waltham Abbey, Essex. Reginald Wisman, of Essex was listed in 1194. 4

By the 13th century, records of the name were scattered as seen by the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 which listed Roger Wyseinan, Oxfordshire; Alan Wysman, Cambridgeshire; and John Wysman, Oxfordshire. The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Johannes Wysman and Petrus Wysman.

Further to the north in Scotland, Wiseman was "an old surname in Angus and Moray. Andrea Wysman witnessed excambion of the lands of Dolays Mychel in 1232, and in the following year attested a confirmation charter by Andrew, bishop of Moray. " 5

Early History of the Wiseman family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Wiseman research. Another 235 words (17 lines of text) covering the years 1232, 1285, 1296, 1305, 1393, 1484, 1513, 1612, 1622, 1629, 1630, 1632, 1643, 1656, 1661, 1676, 1677, 1679, 1685, 1688 and 1712 are included under the topic Early Wiseman History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wiseman Spelling Variations

Only recently has spelling become standardized in the English language. As the English language evolved in the Middle Ages, the spelling of names changed also. The name Wiseman has undergone many spelling variations, including Wiseman, Wyseman, Wysman, Wisman and others.

Early Notables of the Wiseman family

Notables of this surname at this time include:

Sir Simon Wyssman, knighted in 1513 by King Henry 8th as a result of Sir John's bravery in action at the Battle of Spurs in the Hundred Years War; Sir Thomas Wiseman of Rivenhall, Essex; and his son...
Richard Wiseman (1622?-1676), was an English surgeon, born in London. He was possibly the illegitimate son of Sir Richard Wiseman, bart. (d. 1643), of Thundersley Hall in Essex. 6
Sir Richard Wiseman (1632-1712), an English landowner and politician, Member of Parliament for Maldon (1661-1679.)

Wiseman World Ranking

In the United States, the name Wiseman is the 1,461^st most popular surname with an estimated 19,896 people with that name. 7 However, in Newfoundland, Canada, the name Wiseman is ranked the 102^nd most popular surname with an estimated 321 people with that name. 8 And in Australia, the name Wiseman is the 949^th popular surname with an estimated 4,178 people with that name. 9

Migration of the Wiseman family to Ireland

Some of the Wiseman family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Wiseman migration to the United States +

To escape the unstable social climate in England of this time, many families boarded ships for the New World with the hope of finding land, opportunity, and greater religious and political freedom. Although the voyages were expensive, crowded, and difficult, those families that arrived often found greater opportunities and freedoms than they could have experienced at home. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Wiseman were among those contributors:

Wiseman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Henry Wiseman, who landed in Maryland in 1633 10
Mr. Robert Wiseman, (d. 1637), who left England and arrived in Maryland in 1634 aboard the ship "Ark and Dove" 11
Katherin Wiseman, aged 19, who landed in Virginia in 1635 aboard the ship "Thomas & John" 10
John Wiseman, who settled in Virginia in 1652
Thomas Wiseman, who landed in Maryland in 1652-1659 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wiseman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Henry Wiseman, who settled in Maryland in 1719
Hugh Wiseman, who arrived in Charles Town, South Carolina, along with Margaret, Mary and Robert, in 1767
Philipina Wiseman, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1797 10
Wirnart Wiseman, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1797 10
Devenport Wiseman, who arrived in Mississippi in 1798 10

Wiseman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

John Wiseman, aged 47, who landed in Vermont in 1812 10
Timothy Wiseman, aged 38, who arrived in Delaware in 1812 10
Maria Wiseman, who landed in New York, NY in 1840 10
Samuel M Wiseman, who arrived in New York, NY in 1840 10
Maier Wiseman, who arrived in New York in 1842 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wiseman Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Max Wiseman, aged 21, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Cedric" from Liverpool, England 12
Edward Wiseman, originally from Liverpool, who arrived in New York, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Lapland" from Liverpool, England 12
J. Wiseman, aged 48, originally from St. John's, Nfld, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Wellington" from St. John's, Newfoundland 12
Gavin Wiseman, aged 24, originally from Dauville, Kent, who arrived in New York City, New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Rochambeau" from Le Havre, France 12
George Wiseman, aged 19, originally from Aberdeen, Scotland, who arrived in New York in 1919 aboard the ship "Caronia" from Liverpool, England 12
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wiseman migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Wiseman Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

John Wiseman, who settled in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland, in 1774 13
Mr. John Lockhart Wiseman U.E. who settled in Shefford Township, Eastern Townships [La Haute-Yamaska Regional County Municipality], Quebec c. 1784 he was an associate of Capt. John Savage 14
Peter Wiseman, who settled in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1797 13

Wiseman migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Wiseman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Edward Wiseman, English convict who was convicted in Warwick, Warwickshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Eliza" on 13th July 1822, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
John Wiseman, a harness-maker, who arrived in Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania) sometime between 1825 and 1832
Mrs. Harriet Wiseman, English convict who was convicted in York, Yorkshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 10th November 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 16
Miss Elizabeth Wiseman, (b. 1835), aged 13, English settler traveling with Elizabeth Wiseman convict, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 10th November 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 16
Mr. Miles Wiseman, (b. 1839), aged 9, English settler traveling with Elizabeth Wiseman convict, transported aboard the "Cadet" on 10th November 1848, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 16
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Wiseman migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Wiseman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Wiseman, (b. 1842), aged 21, British settler travelling from London aboard the ship "Huntress" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 21st April 1863 17
Miss Ann Wiseman, (b. 1849), aged 21, British general servant travelling from London aboard the ship "Monarch" arriving in Lyttelton, Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand on 6th September 1870 17

Contemporary Notables of the name Wiseman (post 1700) +

Thomas Anderton Wiseman Jr. (1930-2020), American jurist, District Judge of the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee from 1978 to 1995
Malcolm B. "Mac" Wiseman (1925-2019), American bluegrass singer
Lt. Commander Gregory Reid Wiseman (b. 1975), American Navy test pilot and NASA astronaut candidate 18
Mac Wiseman (b. 1925), American country-folk singer
Frederick Wiseman (b. 1930), American documentary filmmaker
Lee V. Wiseman, American fighter pilot and flying ace in the U.S. Army Air Forces, during World War II, credited with 5 aerial victories
J. Frank Wiseman, American Democratic Party politician, City manager of Clarksburg, West Virginia, 1951 19
Fred E. Wiseman, American politician, Postmaster at Charleston, West Virginia, 1957-60 (acting, 1957-58) 19
Emmett O. Wiseman (1903-1989), American Democratic Party politician, Member of West Virginia State House of Delegates from Fayette County, 1935-36; Member of West Virginia State Senate, 1937-40 19
Earl Wiseman, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Arkansas, 1936 19
... (Another 22 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the Wiseman family +

HMS Cornwall

Frederick Charles John Wiseman, British Warrant Officer Electrical aboard the HMS Cornwall (1942) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 20

RMS Lusitania

Mr. James Wiseman, English Second Baker from Bootle, Lancashire, England, who worked aboard the RMS Lusitania (1915) and died in the sinking 21

RMS Titanic

Mr. Phillippe Wiseman (d. 1912), aged 54, English Third Class passenger from London who sailed aboard the RMS Titanic and died in the sinking 22

Victoria steamboat disaster

Glenville G. Wiseman, Canadian passenger who was killed in the Victoria steamboat disaster when the boat capsized in 1881

Citations +

Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
Guppy, Henry Brougham, Homes of Family Names in Great Britain. 1890. Print.
Reaney, P.H and R.M. Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames. London: Routledge, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-415-05737-X)
Black, George F., The Surnames of Scotland Their Origin, Meaning and History. New York: New York Public Library, 1946. Print. (ISBN 0-87104-172-3)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
The order of Common Surnames in 1955 in Newfoundland retrieved on 20th October 2021 (retrieved from Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland by E.R. Seary corrected edition ISBN 0-7735-1782-0)
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 15th February 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/eliza
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th November 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cadet/
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
NASA Astronauts Homepage. (Retrieved 2011, January 18) Gregory Wiseman. Retrieved from http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/wiseman.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
Force Z Survivors Crew List HMS Cornwall (Retrieved 2018, February 13th) - Retrieved from https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listcornwallcrew.html#A
Lusitania Passenger List - The Lusitania Resource. (Retrieved 2014, March 7) . Retrieved from http://www.rmslusitania.info/lusitania-passenger-list/
Titanic Passenger List - Titanic Facts. (Retrieved 2016, July 13) . Retrieved from http://www.titanicfacts.net/titanic-passenger-list.html